Just as Jiang Qiao finished tidying up the house and was about to eat, Ning Zhengtao and his wife came over.
"Qiao'er, you're back?"
Jiang Qiao quickly ushered the elderly couple in, saying, "I've been busy ever since I got back, and I haven't had a chance to visit you yet. Please sit down first, and I'll finish my meal. I also brought you some things."
The elderly couple came over not for no reason, but because their grandson had left a letter. They didn't know what his letter said, but they understood his intentions.
Moreover, the more the old lady looked at Jiang Qiao, the more pleasing she became. This girl hadn't been seen for a summer vacation, and she seemed like a completely different person. Well, this little girl was beautiful when she was young, so there's no reason for her to grow up to be so ugly.
He nudged the old man beside him and whispered, "Look at him, doesn't our grandson have good taste? The ugly duckling has turned into a swan. This kid has a sharp eye."
Ning Zhengtao smiled and said, "What do you think? Haozi never cares about appearances. That kid knows what he's doing. As long as we don't hold him back, that's fine."
After seeing the two elderly people off, Jiang Qiao glanced at the letter in her hand, sighed, and tore it open deftly.
She felt she couldn't get involved in the Ning family's affairs, and she didn't know how Ning Hao handled them.
As expected, Ning Hao's mother was indeed poisoned, and the kind of poison that ordinary people really couldn't buy or come into contact with. As for whether it was the stepmother who did it, there is currently no evidence. After all, things were quite chaotic outside back then, and so many years have passed, it would be difficult to investigate.
To Jiang Qiao's surprise, Ning Hao's father was also present when the coffin was opened for autopsy. She had no idea how Ning Hao had managed to persuade his maternal family to help.
The letter revealed Ning Hao's anger and frustration. He was very depressed that he couldn't catch the murderer. As for what his father thought, he couldn't care less, since he had already reported the case to the police.
Jiang Qiao read the letter carefully, then leaned back on her bed, closed her eyes, and considered which industries this metallic element usually appeared in.
The fact that someone could use this to harm others suggests that the person who poisoned them had some medical knowledge, though we can't rule out Ning Hao's stepmother as a possibility.
With a sigh, he got up and wrote a letter to Ning Hao. Sometimes it's better not to know the truth than to know it, especially for someone like Ning Hao. He probably has no one to confide in, otherwise he wouldn't have left a letter just for himself.
Children who have fathers but no mothers are quite pitiful, that's all she could say. All she could do was comfort her friend and share her own thoughts and opinions.
Jiang Qiao was probably too tired yesterday, and for the first time, she couldn't get up in the morning. She didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky.
Seeing the bright sunshine outside, I stretched and then slowly got up, tidied myself up, and quickly made myself something to eat.
He packed his things, got on his bike, and set off, only to run into Gu Zhixuan and Gu Zhihong as soon as he stepped out the door.
"Big brother, little brother, what brings you here?"
Gu Zhihong jumped happily out of the car. "Sister, I've been staying in the city with my older brother these past few days. Last night, my uncle said you should be home by now, so we came looking for you. Are you going to the countryside?"
Jiang Qiao nodded. "Let's go, shall we go together?"
The three siblings rode their bikes towards the countryside. On the way, Jiang Qiao learned that Gu Zhihong had been taking classes in the city for a month.
"Did Grandpa really agree to let you come to school?"
Gu Zhihong was also quite excited. "Grandpa said that I should live with my older brother and uncle. He said that he is too old to teach me some things, so my older brother and I should learn from my uncle."
"Sister, Grandpa Qiao has already made arrangements for me. It's the same school as yours. I'm skipping a grade too; I'm going to be in the second year of junior high."
Jiang Qiao smiled and nodded, "Not bad, that's ambitious. Big brother, why did Grandpa suddenly agree?"
Gu Zhixuan sighed, "It's not right for Zhihong to stay at home alone. At least my father and I can take care of him. Grandpa said that the child is all grown up and should go out and broaden his horizons. Staying in the countryside all the time will affect his progress."
Besides, Grandpa was also worried that we'd grown apart for so long, and there might be some distance between us siblings. But it's good that Zhihong is coming; the three of us can keep each other company.
It was certainly a good thing that Gu Zhihong could come over, but Jiang Qiao also had another worry in her heart. There were only two old men left in the family, and according to her idea, she wanted to bring the old man back as well.
Gu Zhixuan shook his head. "Grandpa doesn't want to leave. He says he's afraid of causing us trouble. I don't think it's necessary. Isn't the purpose of raising a son to provide for us in our old age? My dad has already moved to the city. It's really not good for him to stay in the village and live alone. Qiao'er, why don't you go and persuade Grandpa this time? We're not going to the city to do anything. We just want someone to take care of us when we get old. There's no rule that says people with landlord status can't leave."
Jiang Qiao nodded. "That's true. But your place is too small. Even if Grandpa comes, we'll have to find another place. Our place is big enough, but if Grandpa Liu comes back, it will be too cramped for the three old men to squeeze together. I'll talk to Grandpa about it later."
On the way, the two brothers asked about their other younger cousin.
“It’s so much fun, you guys didn’t see it. When he’s a little older, I’ll bring him back. He can keep Grandpa company, and my parents won’t have to worry about him.”
"Sis, what's your brother's name?"
Speaking of her younger brother's name, Jiang Qiao couldn't help but think of her father's depressed expression.
“Your second uncle said that all the good names have been taken by you, and the little brother really doesn’t know what a good name to choose. So he and my maternal grandfather have looked at a few and he’s asking my grandfather to make a decision. I guess he should be able to find out when he gets back.”
Gu Hanting didn't expect his three grandsons to come together. The old man was working on the mountain, so his two grandsons went to find him, while Jiang Qiao stayed home to cook.
Gu Zhixuan and his brother helped the old man with the work so that Gu Hanting could rest.
Qiao Jie wasn't home either; the old man had sent someone to see a doctor. Jiang Qiao checked the family's food supplies and quickly added some more.
When Gu Hanting saw the smoke rising from his own chimney below the mountain, a smile involuntarily appeared on the old man's lips.
"What are you doing, laughing to yourself like that? What's the good news? Tell me about it."
Gu Hanting smiled and said, "What could it be? Jiang Qiao is cooking at home. I'll have the kids bring you food at noon."
Jiang Weihan chuckled, "Then I'm in for a treat! This little girl hasn't been here for quite a while. Did she come back from her parents' place?"
Gu Hanting smiled and nodded, "This child has had a tough time. She traveled all the way to take care of her mother. My in-laws did go, but as you know, she's not good at taking care of people. Luckily, she has the maid to help her."
Jiang Weihan patted Gu Hanting on the shoulder and said, "You should be secretly happy to have such a capable granddaughter. Come on, let's go push some hay."
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